absentee voting

Military voters returning from service would have a longer window to register to vote in Missouri elections under a measure headed to the governor's desk.

The Missouri Senate gave final approval Wednesday to a bill that would allow military and overseas voters to participate in elections for statewide offices, the state Legislature and statewide ballot initiatives.

A Missouri state senator is proposing to let voters cast absentee ballots if they're responding to a disaster on an election day.

Democrat Scott Sifton, of St. Louis, introduced his measure yesterday. He says the bill is in response to how close Hurricane Sandy came to the 2012 elections.

The bill would let Missouri voters responding to a disaster anywhere in the U.S. request an absentee ballot until 5 p.m. the Monday before an election. Those workers would be able to request a ballot even if the traditional absentee deadline has passed.